Doek! Literary Magazine’s submissions window for Issue 18 is now open, running from June 1 to September 30, 2026. Founded in Windhoek, Namibia, Doek! is building a Pan-African publication that establishes Namibian writing in the country’s literary consciousness while showcasing the breadth and depth of continental creativity. The magazine publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, and this issue’s call comes with eligibility rules worth reading carefully before you submit.

For fiction and poetry, only Namibian citizens, living in Namibia or in the diaspora, and foreign nationals permanently residing in Namibia may submit. For nonfiction and visual art, eligibility extends to African writers and visual artists and those of African descent living on the continent or in the diaspora. Work directed primarily at the white gaze is discouraged.

Doek! seeks narrative-driven short fiction of any genre that lingers with readers long after the final page, and poetry written for the page that takes readers to the edge of their senses. Fiction and poetry submissions may not exceed 4,500 words, with a minimum of 1,500 words for fiction and no minimum for poetry. Writers may submit one piece per window; poets may submit up to five poems in a single document. Nonfiction submissions must fall between 1,500 and 4,500 words. Visual artists must submit five images from a project in JPEG or PNG format, maximum 1.5 MB, 300dpi, 1,500px width, along with a 300-word write-up.

All submissions must be typed in Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced, and must not include identifying details in the document. Work produced with AI software will not be considered. Simultaneous submissions are permitted but must be retracted if accepted elsewhere. Writers previously published in Doek! must wait six months from their publication date before submitting again. All writers must be 18 or older at the time of submission. All successfully published submissions from Namibian writers, poets, and visual artists are automatically eligible for the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards.

Submit and find full guidelines at doeklitmag.com/submissions.